U.S. patent number 4,051,783 [Application Number 05/701,905] was granted by the patent office on 1977-10-04 for model railroad layout.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Peerless Industries Inc.. Invention is credited to Frank Caliri.
United States Patent |
4,051,783 |
Caliri |
October 4, 1977 |
Model railroad layout
Abstract
Model railroad layout with a length of track formed near the
ends of the rails with gaps and connected to an electrical source
and a control means to reverse polarity on the rails when the
engine wheel bridges a gap.
Inventors: |
Caliri; Frank (Marlboro,
MA) |
Assignee: |
Peerless Industries Inc.
(Marlboro, MA)
|
Family
ID: |
24819136 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/701,905 |
Filed: |
July 1, 1976 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
104/303;
104/DIG.1; 446/443 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
19/24 (20130101); Y10S 104/01 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H
19/24 (20060101); A63H 19/00 (20060101); B61B
013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;104/151,147A,DIG.1,148R,149 ;238/1E,1R,1A ;246/31,48,57,193
;212/130,131 ;46/212,216,257,262,263 ;318/282,286,587 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spar; Robert J.
Assistant Examiner: Reese; Randolph A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Blodgett; Norman S. Blodgett; Gerry
A.
Claims
The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new
and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:
1. Model railroad layout for use with a direct current motor-driven
engine, comprising
a. a track having a finite length and consisting of two parallel
rails, one rail having a switching means consisting of a gap in the
rail adjacent one end of the track and the other having a switching
means adjacent the other end of the track,
b. a source of direct current electrically connected to the track,
one rail being connected to ground and the other rail to the
positive voltage side, so that current passes from one rail,
through a wheel of the engine, through its motor, and through
another wheel to the other rail, and
c. control means to switch the polarity of the electricity applied
to the rails to reverse the direction of the motion of the engine
when it approaches a switching means, the control means reversing
the engine when a wheel passes over a gap and electrically connects
the rail on both sides of the gap.
2. Model railroad layout as recited in claim 1, wherein a resilient
bumper is located each end of the track with its contact element
directed toward the other end, the distance between the contact
element and the gap in the rail at that end being sufficiently long
that the engine will normally be reversed in direction by contact
of its wheel with the gap before contact of the engine is made with
the bumper.
3. Model railroad layout as recited in claim 1, wherein the track
is mounted in a rigid elongated base, wherein a miniature railroad
building is mounted on the base adjacent one end of the track, and
wherein the central means is contained in the building.
4. Model railroads layout as recited in claim 1, wherein the ends
of the rails are electrically connected, so that the short section
or rail beyond the gap is of the opposite electrical polarity to
the remainder of the rail.
5. Model railroad layout as recited in claim 4, wherein a relay is
connected between the said source and the track, the relay being of
the two-pole, double-throw type having an energizing coil, two
input contacts connected to the two sides of the surface, and two
output contacts connected to the two rails, the relay also
including a contact element for reversing the electrical
connections between the input contacts and the output contacts.
6. Model railroad layout as recited in claim 5, wherein the control
means includes a silicon control rectifier having a first lead
connected to one rail, a second lead connected to the positive side
of the electrical source, and a third lead connected to one side of
the energizing coil of the relay.
7. Model railroad layout as recited in claim 6, wherein the said
first lead is connected through a capacitor to the other side of
the energizing coil.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the display of model railroad trains, it has been common
practice to use an endless pattern of track. This is true not only
in the case of the model railroad hobbyist, but also the retail
sales outlet. The display and sale of such equipment usually takes
place in a "hobby shop" and is sold along with many other items;
therefore, space is at a premium and it is difficult to justify one
large area of the store for the installation of a conventional
endless track layout for demonstrating the operation of the model
railroad equipment. In some cases, the hobbyist himself moves to an
apartment and has no room to install a large conventional layout.
Furthermore, even if he has a large layout in his cellar, he may
wish to display certain important, unusual or expensive portions of
his equipment in his den or even in his office. When used in this
way, as a "conversation piece ", it would be desirable to show the
equipment in operation, but the usual endless track layout is too
large for such purposes. These and other difficulties experienced
with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by
the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide
model railroad layout which occupies very little space.
Another object of this invention is the provision of model railroad
layout for displaying equipment in a retail sales store.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of model
railroad layout for operating equipment as a display unit in a home
or office.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide model
railroad layout for continuous back-and-forth operation of
equipment in an automatic manner.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of model
railroad layout that is simple in nature, that is inexpensive to
manufacture, and that is capable of a long life of useful service
with a minimum of maintenance.
It is a further object of the invention to provide model railroad
layout including a simple and rugged control means for reversing
electrical polarity on the track to cause to-and-fro movement of an
engine.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those
skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of
parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims
appended hereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, the present invention relates to a model railroad
layout with a track of limited length having two parallel rails.
One rail has an electrical gap adjacent one end of the track and
the other rail has a gap adjacent the other end of the track. A
source of direct current electricity is connected to the track, one
rail being connected to ground and the other rail being connected
to the positive voltage side, so that operating current passes from
one rail to the other via the wheels and motor of the engine.
Control means is provided to switch the polarity of the electricity
applied to the rails to reverse the direction of operation of the
engine when a wheel passes over a gap and electrically connects the
rail on both sides of the gap.
More specifically, resilient bumpers are provided at the ends of
the track and the control means is located in a miniature building
at one end of the track. The control means includes a silicon
control rectifier and a switching relay.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by
reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a model railroad layout embodying
the principles of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the layout, and
FIG. 3 is an electrical schematic diagram of the layout.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIG. 1, wherein are best shown the general
features of the invention, the model railroad layout, indicated by
the reference numeral 10, is shown in use with a direct-current
driven engine 11 having a coal tender 12. The engine and tender
have metal wheels that rest on a track 13 of a convenient length
mounted on a base 14. Also mounted on the base adjacent one end of
the track is a building 15 and at the ends of the track are located
bumpers 16 and 17.
Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the track 13 consists of
two parallel rails 18 and 19 (see FIG. 3) carried on ties 21.
Located adjacent the end of the rail 18 at one end of the track is
a switching means in the form of a gap 22. Close to the other end
of the track, the rail 19 is provided with a switching means in the
form of a gap 23. The bumper 16 is shown as having a rigid
structure attached to the rails and having a resilient means such
as a rubber block 24 facing toward the other end of the track; the
bumper 17 is similarly provided with a rubber block 25.
In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the layout 10 is provided with a
source 26 of direct-current electricity connected to the track. The
positive side of the source is connected (indirectly) to the rail
18, while the negative side (ground) is connected to the rail 19.
In this way, the electric motor in the engine 11 is operated by
current passing from one rail to the other. A control means 20
(located in the building 15) is provided to switch the polarity of
the electricity applied to the rails to reverse the direction of
movement of the engine when it approaches one of the switch means
(gaps 22 or 23). This reversing occurs when a metal wheel passes
over a gap and momentarily electrically connects the rails on both
sides of the gap. The distance between each gap and its adjacent
bumper is selected so that the wheel of the engine 11 (or an
attached car, such as the coal tender 12) electrically bridges the
gap before the remainder of the engine or car strikes the bumper.
The bumpers, therefore, are only present for emergencies.
The ends of the rails 18 and 19 are electrically connected by wires
27 and 28, so that the short section of each rail beyond its gap is
of the opposite polarity to the remainder of the rail. A relay 29,
forming part of the control means 20, is connected between the
electrical source 26 and the track 13, the relay being of the
two-pole, double-throw type having an energizing coil 31. Two input
contacts 32 and 33 of the relay are connected by lines 34 and 35 to
the positive and negative terminals, respectively, of the
electrical source 26. Two output contacts 36 and 37 of the relay
are connected by lines 38 and 39 to the rails 18 and 19,
respectively. The relay also includes a contact element 41 for
reversing the electrical connections between the input contacts 32
and 33 (on the one hand) and the output contacts 36 and 37 (on the
other hand).
The control means 20 includes a silicon control rectifier (SCR) 42
having a first line 43 leading to the short section of rail beyond
the gap 22 and electrically connected to the major portion of the
rail 19. A second line 44 is connected from the rectifier 42 to the
line 34 at the positive voltage side of the source 26. A third line
45 leads from the rectifier 42 to one side of a variable capacitor
46 the other side of which is connected to the short portion of the
rail 19 which lies beyond the gap 23 and which is electrically
connected to the major portion of the rail 18. The third line 45 is
connected through a diode 47 to a line 48 to one end of the
energizing coil 31. The line 48 is also connected to a line 49
leading through a variable capacitor 51 to the line 34 at the
positive terminal of the electrical source 26. The first line 43 is
connected by a line 52 through a variable capacitor 53 to the other
side of the relay coil 31. A diode 54 is connected between the two
ends of the coil 31. A line connects one end of the coil 31 to the
input contact 33 which, it will be recalled, is connected through
the line 35 to the ground or negative side of the electrical source
26. The relay 29 includes two other output contacts 55 and 56. The
contact 55 is connected by a line 57 to the output contact 37,
while the contact 56 is connected by a line 58 to the output
contact 36. A diode 59 bridges the gap 22, while a diode 61 is
connected across the gap 23. A diode 62 and a resistance 63 are
connected between the output contacts 36 and 37.
The operation of the layout will now be readily understood in view
of the above description. With the relay 29 in the condition shown
in FIG. 3, the coil 31 is unenergized and the contact element joins
the output contact 37 to the input contact 33 and joins the output
contact 36 to the input contact 32 (by means of the output contact
56). The rail 18 is, therefore, at positive voltage, while the rail
19 is at negative voltage (ground). The extreme right end of the
rail 18 beyond the gap 22 is always negative and positive voltage
is blocked by the diode 59.
The engine 11 and the coal tender 12 are placed on the the track in
the manner shown in FIG. 1 and immediately begins to move, say, to
the right away from the building 15 and toward the bumper 16.
Eventually, the metal wheel of the coal tender 12 bridges the gap
22 and this triggers the SCR rectifier 42. This, in turn, permits
current to pass through the relay coil 31 and causes the contact
element 41 to move to its second position in which the contact
element connects the input contact 33 to the output contact 56 and
the input contact 32 to the output contact 55. The rail 18 then
becomes negative and the rail 19 becomes positive. The engine and
its equipment then moves to the left toward the building 15. When
the front wheel of the engine bridges the gap 23, the polarity of
the track is reversed again to its original condition. The engine
begins to move again to the right. The electrical bridging of the
gap 23 causes positive electricity from the main part of the rail
19 to flow to the short portion on the other side of the gap. This
positive pulse acts through the line 45 to shut off the SCR
rectifier 42, so that current no longer flows through the coil 31
and the relay returns to its "normal" condition. The diode 62 and
the resistor 63 are used to offset the resistance in the relay coil
31 and to maintain equal speed of the engine when moving in either
direction.
In a commercial version of the invention, the thyristor SCR
rectifier 42 has a capacity of 4 amps., while the diodes 59, 61,
62, 47 and 54 have a similar capacity. The source 26 is a 12-volt
D.C. power supply. The resistor 63 is 47 ohms with a capacity of 2
watts. The relay 29 is a DPDT of 2 amps. The capacitor 51 has 10
microfared, 25 volt rating. The capacitor 46 is 5 microfared, 25
volt, and the capacitor 51 is 200 microfared, 25 volt.
The advantages of the invention will be readily understood in the
light of the above description. For the retail merchant the use of
one (or several) of the layouts in the window or store display
serves to attract customers' attention to promote sales,
particularly of locomotives, train accessories, and the like. In
the preferred embodiment, the layout is only 13/4 inches wide and 6
feet long. The model railroad enthusiast can use the layout for
point-to-point operational display of his favorite locomotives. It
can also be used in the expansion of conventional layouts as spur
and express tracks, as automatic freight yards and passage
terminals, traction systems, and many others that may be limited
only by the imagination and ingenuity of the user. The layout is
particularly useful in filling the needs of the apartment dweller
or the owner of a small home who, because of limited space, has
been unable to fulfill a desire for an operational model railroad.
Because of the particular nature of the polarity reversing
equipment, the track can be extended to any desired length. Its
rugged and simple construction gives a long life of reversing
directional movement without attention from the operator. Even if
the model railroad enthusiast has a full conventional layout in his
basement, with the present invention he is able to have a
supplemental operative display of his favorite locomotive either in
his living room (in a bookcase) or in his business office.
It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and
construction of the invention without departing from the material
spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the
invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is
desired to include all such as properly come within the scope
claimed.
* * * * *